Environmental exposures to organophosphorus flame retardants in early pregnancy and risks of gestational diabetes mellitus: a nested case-control study.

OPFRs are emerging environmental pollutants with reproductive and endocrine toxicity. This study aimed to examine the association between environmental exposure to OPFRs during early pregnancy and GDM. This nested case-control study was based on a birth cohort that was constructed at a maternal and child health hospital, including 74 cases of GDM among 512 pregnant women. The OPFRs, including TBP, TBEP, TCEP, TDCPP, TMCP, TOCP, and TPHP during 10-14 weeks of pregnancy were determined using GC-MS. The association between the OPFRs and GDM was assessed using WQS and BKMR models. The levels of OPFRs were significantly elevated in GDM patients (60) compared with the controls (90). The WQS analysis showed that mixtures of the OPFRs were significantly associated with GDM (OR 1.370, 95% CI 1.036-1.810, P = 0.027), and TBP, TPHP, and TMCP were the major contributors to the mixed exposure effect. In the BKMR model, individual exposure to TBP, TPHP, and TMCP, and the interaction of TMCP with TBP and TPHP were significantly associated with GDM. Environmental exposure to OPFRs is positively associated with GDM. These findings provide evidence for the adverse effects of OPFR exposure on the health of pregnant women.

Unlocking Enhanced Electrochemical Performance of MBene-MoB Through Controlled Aluminum Dissipation from MoAlB.

2D transition metal borides, known as MBenes, have attracted considerable attention due to their exceptional properties. This study explores the feasibility of aluminum (Al) etching from MoAlB using environmentally friendly and sustainable fluoride-free dilute acidic/alkaline solutions at room temperature, revealing its thermodynamic and kinetic viability. Furthermore, it is found that complete removal of Al can be achieved in dilute alkaline reagent under hydrothermal conditions, yielding pristine single/few-layered MBene-MoB for the first time, while acidic solutions result in ≈33% etching rates. XRD refinement, which tracks aluminum removal from 0% to 100%, reveals transient metastable phases of MoAl1-xB (x < 0.5) in the initial etching stages, evolving into relatively stable pure Mo2AlB2 structures with 50% Al deficiency, serving as a precursor to MBenes. The subsequent loss of Al results in a 2D MBene-MoB structure. DFT calculations confirm excellent conductivity for MoAlB, MoAl1-xB (x = 0-1), and MBene-MoB. Remarkably, MBene-MoB exhibits superior supercapacitor performance with a 4025.60 mF cm-2/201.28 F g-1 capacitance. Simulations validate rapid electrolyte diffusion in layered MBene-MoB, contributing significantly to enhanced capacitance. Additionally, in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), MBene-MoB demonstrates superior catalytic activity compared to the precursor MoAlB and commercial MoB. Calculations suggest the potential for enhancing HER through surface modulation, considering its suboptimal hydrogen adsorption energy.

Exploring the Potential of MBenes Supercapacitors: Fluorine-Free Synthesized MoAl1-xB with Ultrahigh Conductivity and Open Space.

The present study describes the synthesis of multilayered MBenes MoAl1-xB with different degrees of Al deintercalation using a mild, fluorine-free approach of dilute alkali to remove Al from MoAlB. We propose an etching route and compare it to conventional fluoride etching products. Additionally, the study explores the possible application and energy storage mechanism of MBenes in supercapacitors, marking the first investigation of its kind. At room temperature, 1/24-MoAl1-xB with terminal groups -OH exhibits ∼25% Al removal in 1 wt % NaOH for 24 h, outperforming traditional etching technology. Increasing the Al removal exposed more open space, resulting in a higher capacitance. Compared to LiF/HCl-MoAl1-xB (etched by LiF + HCl), 1/24-MoAl1-xB has a higher energy storage capability. The multilayered 1/24-MoAl1-xB film electrode exhibits ultrahigh conductivity with a rapid relaxation time of 0.97 s and high areal capacitance (2006.60 mF cm-2) while maintaining 80.2% capacitance after 5000 cycles. The MoAl1-xB all-solid-state supercapacitor (ASSS) delivers a high capacitance of 741.6 mF cm-2 at 1 mV s-1 for a single electrode and exhibits stable capacitance even at a 90° bending angle, highlighting its potential practical use. Our research represents an important step in the synthesis of MBenes and highlights their potential applications in supercapacitors.

Attenuated effect of zinc gluconate on oxidative stress, inflammation, and angiogenic imbalance in pre-eclampsia rats.

AIMS: Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a common obstetric disease associated with oxidative stress, systemic inflammation, and angiogenic imbalance, whereas zinc (Zn) presents anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. This study is to investigate whether zinc gluconate (ZG) supplementation may ameliorate the early signs, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and pathogenic processes of PE in an animal model. MAIN METHODS: Forty pregnant Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: blank control (treated with normal saline, NS), Zn control (treated with ZG and followed by NS), PE model (treated with NS and followed by nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, L-NAME), and PE intervention (treated with ZG and followed by L-NAME). ZG (5 mg/kg/day) or NS was administered by gavage from day 0 to 19 of gestation, and L-NAME (80 mg/kg/day) or NS was subcutaneously injected from day 4 to 19 of gestation. The blood pressure, urinary protein, and pregnancy outcomes were recorded. Oxidative stress, inflammation, and angiogenic homeostasis were evaluated. KEY FINDINGS: PE rats exhibited oxidative stress (reduced SOD, CAT, and GSH, and increased MDA and 3-NT), inflammation (increased IL-6 and TNF-α), and angiogenic imbalance (reduced VEGF and PlGF, and increased sFlt-1). After intervention with ZG, the blood pressure and urinary protein levels were reverted, and the pregnancy outcomes were improved. The oxidative stress, inflammation, and angiogenic imbalance were effectively restored in accompany by increased Zn and MT levels. SIGNIFICANCE: ZG can ameliorate the early signs and pathological processes of PE in the animal model, indicating the value of zinc supplementation during pregnancy for PE prevention.

Genetic Variations in Metallothionein Genes and Susceptibility to Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy: A Case-Control Study.

Background: The involvement of oxidative stress in the pathological process of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) gives rise to the interest in exploring the association of genetic variations in antioxidant metallothionein (MT) genes with HDP susceptibility. Methods: Seventeen single-nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) in MT genes were selected to conduct genotyping based on a case-control study consisting of 371 HDP cases (pregnancy with chronic hypertension (66), gestational hypertension (172), and preeclampsia or preeclampsia superimposed on chronic hypertension (133)) and 479 controls. The association between SNPs in MTs and the risk of HDP was estimated with unconditional logistic regression analysis and further tested with the false-positive report probability (FPRP) procedure. The joint effects of SNPs on the HDP risk were assessed by haplotype analysis. Results: After the adjustment for age and pre-pregnancy body mass index (pre-BMI) in the logistic regress analysis and followed by the FPRP test, the genetic variation rs10636 (OR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.30-0.71 for GG vs. CC, p = 0.000 and OR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.32-0.73 for GG vs. CG/CC, p = 0.001) in MT2A was associated with gestational hypertension. Other four SNPs, that is, rs11076161 (OR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.35-2.63 for GG vs. GA/AA, p = 0.000) in MT1A; rs7191779 (OR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.11-2.13 for CC vs. CG/GG, p = 0.010) in MT1B; rs8044719 (OR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.40-0.80 for GT vs. GG, p = 0.001) in MT1DP; and rs8052334 (OR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.10-2.11 for TT vs. TC/CC, p = 0.012) in MT1B were significantly associated with the susceptibility of HDP. The haplotype analysis among 11, 10, 10, and seven SNPs in MT (MT1A, MT2A, MT1M, MT1B, and MT1DP) genes showed that eight (A-C-G-T-C-G-A-G-C-G-C, OR = 4.559; A-C-T-C-C-C-A-G-C-G-C, OR = 5.777; A-C-T-T-C-G-A-G-C-G-C, OR = 4.590; G-A-T-C-C-G-C-G-G-C-C, OR = 4.065; G-A-T-C-G-C-C-G-G-C-C, OR = 4.652; G-A-T-T-C-C-C-G-G-C-C, OR = 0.404; G-C-T-C-C-C-A-G-G-C-C, OR = 1.901; G-C-T-T-C-C-A-G-G-C-C, and OR = 3.810), five (C-G-A-T-C-A-C-C-G-G, OR = 2.032; C-G-A-T-C-G-C-C-G-G, OR = 2.077; G-A-C-T-C-A-C-C-T-G, OR = 0.564; G-G-A-G-C-A-C-C-G-G, OR = 5.466; G-G-A-T-T-A-G-C-G-G, and OR = 0.284), five (A-C-G-T-C-G-A-G-C-C, OR = 2.399; A-C-T-C-C-C-C-T-G-G, OR = 0.259; G-A-T-C-C-C-C-G-G-C, OR = 1.572; G-A-T-C-G-C-C-G-G-C, OR = 0.001; G-C-T-C-G-C-A-G-G-C, and OR = 2.512), and five (A-C-T-C-C-C-G, OR = 0.634; G-A-G-C-C-C-G, OR = 4.047; G-A-T-T-G-C-G, OR = 0.499; G-C-G-T-C-A-G, and OR = 7.299; G-C-T-C-C-A-G, OR = 1.434) haplotypes were significantly associated with pregnancy with chronic hypertension, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, or preeclampsia superimposed on chronic hypertension and HDP. Conclusion: These variant MT alleles and their combination patterns may be used as genetic markers for predicting HDP susceptibility.

CDK5 Regulatory Subunit-Associated Protein 1-Like 1 Gene Polymorphisms and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Risk: A Trial Sequential Meta-Analysis of 13,306 Subjects.

Objectives: The CDK5 regulatory subunit-associated protein 1-like 1 (CDKAL1) contributes to islet ß-cell function and insulin secretion by inhibiting the activation of CDK5. The current studies on the relationship between CDKAL1 polymorphisms rs7756992 A>G and rs7754840 C>G and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have drawn contradictory conclusions. Materials and Methods: A meta-analysis with a fixed- or random-effects model was conducted to estimate the correlation between studied CDKAL1 polymorphisms and GDM risk with the summary odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). In addition, trial sequential analysis (TSA) and false-positive report probability (FPRP) analysis were performed to confirm the study findings. Results: A total of 13,306 subjects were included in the present study. Meta-analysis results showed that the variant heterozygous and homozygous genotypes of the two polymorphisms were associated with increased GDM risk in comparison with the wild-type AA genotype (AG vs. AA: OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.08, 1.41, p = 0.002; GG vs. AA: OR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.05, 2.05, p = 0.024 for rs7756992; and CG vs. GG: OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.13, 1.65, p = 0.002; CC vs. GG: OR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.37, 2.26, p < 0.001 for rs7754840). The TSA confirmed a significant association between rs7754840 and the susceptibility to GDM because the cumulative Z-curve crossed both the conventional cutoff value and the TSA boundaries under the heterozygote and homozygote models. Conclusions: This study supported the finding that rs7756992 and rs7754840 are associated with susceptibility to GDM. However, further functional studies are warranted to clarify the mechanism.

Association between functional genetic variants in retinoid X receptor-α/γ and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in a southern Chinese population.

To clarify the effect of retinoid X receptor-α/γ (RXR-α/γ) genes functional genetic variants (RXR-α rs4842194 G>A, RXR-γ rs100537 A>G and rs2134095 T>C) on the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a case-control study with 573 GDM patients and 740 pregnant women with normal glucose tolerance was performed in Guangxi area of China. An odds ratio (OR) with its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to assess the strengths of the association between genetic variation and GDM. After adjustment of age and pre-BMI, the logistic regression analysis showed that the rs2134095 was significantly associated with GDM risk (CC vs. TT/TC: adjusted OR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.56-0.90) in all subjects, and this result remained highly significant after Bonferroni's correction for multiple testing (P=0.004). The stratified analysis showed that rs2134095 was significantly associated with the risk of GDM among age > 30 years (adjusted OR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.39-0.97), BMI > 22 kg/m2 (adjusted OR = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.30-0.70), systolic blood pressure (SBP) > 120 mmHg (adjusted OR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.14-3.36), glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) < 6.5% (adjusted OR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.11-1.78), TG ≤ 1.7 mmol/l (adjusted OR = 2.57, 95% CI = 1.45-4.53), TC ≤ 5.18 mmol/l (adjusted OR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.13-2.22), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) ≤ 1.5 mmol/l (adjusted OR = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.16-2.49) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) > 3.12 mmol/l (adjusted OR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.08-2.00) subjects, under the recessive genetic model. We also found that rs2134095 interacted with age (Pinteraction=0.039), pre-BMI (Pinteraction=0.040) and TG (Pinteraction=0.025) influencing individual's genetic susceptibility to GDM. The rs2134095 T>C is significantly associated with the risk of GDM by effect of a single locus and/or complex joint gene-gene and gene-environment interactions. Larger sample-size and different population studies are required to confirm the findings.

Efficient removal of arsenic from groundwater using iron oxide nanoneedle array-decorated biochar fibers with high Fe utilization and fast adsorption kinetics.

Although Fe-based biochar adsorbents are attractive for removing arsenic from water due to their advantages of costing little and being producible at a large scale, the practical applications of these granular adsorbents are mainly limited by low Fe utilization and slow adsorption kinetics. In this study, iron oxide nanoneedle array-decorated biochar fibers (Fe-NN/BFs) adsorbents have been prepared through a simple hydrothermal reaction. The vertical growth of iron oxide nanoneedle arrays on the surface of biochar fibers maximizes Fe utilization and shortens As diffusion distance, thereby increasing As removal kinetics and capacity. Batch experiments show that the adsorption capacities of Fe-NN/BFs for As(V) and As(III) reach to 93.94 and 70.22 mg/g-Fe at pH 7.0, respectively. As(V) levels (275 µg/L) in groundwater are rapidly reduced (less than 5 min) to below 10 µg/L using Fe-NN/BFs (1 g/L) at pH 6.7. Similar As(III) levels can be reduced to below 10 µg/L within 30 min by Fe-NN/BFs (1.5 g/L). In fixed-bed experiments, the treatment volumes of As(V) and As(III) spiked groundwater reach to 2900 BV (26.2 L) and 2500 BV (22.6 L), respectively, using two columns packed with Fe-NN/BFs in tandem (C0 = 275 µg/L, 2 g of adsorbents in each column). When the As concentration in the influent is reduced to 50 µg/L (As(V): 25 µg/L + As(III): 25 µg/L), the treatment volume using one column reaches up to 11000 BV. The Fe-NN/BFs packed column can be easily regenerated and reused many times. After four regenerations, the treatment volume of As(V) and As(III) were reduced by 10.4% and 22.8%, respectively.

Enhanced arsenite removal from water by radially porous Fe-chitosan beads: Adsorption and H2O2 catalytic oxidation.

Although Fe-chitosan adsorbents are attractive for removing arsenite from water, the practical applications of these granular adsorbents are mainly limited by slow adsorption kinetics. In this study, radially porous Fe-chitosan beads (P/Fe-CB) were prepared using freeze-casting technique. The P/Fe-CB particles possess radially aligned micron-sized tunnels from the surface to the inside as well as excellent acid resistance. Kinetic studies show that the adsorption equilibrium time of P/Fe-CB to 0.975 mg/L As(III) (within 240 min) is considerably shorter than that of compact Fe-chitosan beads (over 600 min). The maximal adsorption capacity of P/Fe-CB for As(III) is 52.7 mg/g. It can work effectively in a wide pH range from 3 to 9, and the coexisting sulfate, carbonate, silicate and humic acid have no significant effect on As(III) removal. The addition of H2O2 can further accelerate and promote the As(III) removal except at high pH (11) and phosphate concentration (50 mg/L). The fixed-bed experiments demonstrate that the P/Fe-CB column can effectively treat about 3000 bed volume (BV) of simulated As(III)-containing groundwater to meet the drinking water standard (<10 µg As/L). This study would extend the potential applicability of porous Fe based chitosan adsorbent and millimeter-sized adsorbent combined with H2O2 to a great extent.

Ultrafast and deep removal of arsenic in high-concentration wastewater: A superior bulk adsorbent of porous Fe2O3 nanocubes-impregnated graphene aerogel.

Bulk adsorbents for fast and deep removal of arsenic in water is highly demanded for practical treatment process, especially fixed-bed column process. In this study, a superior bulk adsorbent of porous Fe2O3 nanocubes-impregnated porous graphene aerogel (PGA/PFe2O3) is prepared using a simple template engineering. The maximum capacity for As(III) and As(V) reaches as high as 172.27 and 217.34 mg g-1 of Fe2O3, respectively. The adsorption equilibrium times of As(III) and As(V) on PGA/PFe2O3 are only 30 and 5 min, respectively (m/V = 0.5 g L-1, C0 = 5 mg L-1). Significantly, the high concentrations of As(III) and As(V) can be reduced below 10 µg L-1 within only 60 and 5 min, respectively. The aerogel is conducive to fast diffusion of arsenic and porous Fe2O3 nanocubes provide abundant adsorption sites. Moreover, the adsorbent exhibits an outstanding reusability. The adsorbent also shows a strong anti-interference to aquatic environment. A real realgar tailing wastewater (C0 = 3.076 mg L-1 for As(III) and 3.225 mg L-1 for As(V)) can be deep treated (below 10 µg L-1) within 4 h (m/V = 0.6 g L-1). The bulk adsorbent of PGA/PFe2O3 presents a high column treatment capacity of arsenic-containing groundwater (4750 BV for As(III), 5730 BV for As(V)), producing only 12 BV eluent. This work develops a superior bulk adsorbent for large-scale treatment of arsenic-containing wastewater.

Studies of heavy metal ion adsorption on chitosan/sulfydryl-functionalized graphene oxide composites.

Chitosan/Sulfydryl-functionalized graphene oxide composite (CS/GO-SH) was successfully synthesized via covalent modification and electrostatic self-assembly. A facile diazonium chemical process was developed to fabricate sulfydryl-functionalized graphene oxide (GO-SH) by introducing sulfydryl compounds to the graphene oxide sheets (GO), and the GO-SH was used to self-assemble with chitosan via an electrostatic interaction. The chemical structure and morphology of the CS/GO-SH composite were characterized by Fourier transformed infrared, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction and thermogravimetric examination. The results indicated that the CS/GO-SH was a new type of with multifunctional groups such as -OH, -COOH, -SH and -NH2. Simultaneously, the self-assembly of chitosan with GO-SH sheets changed the blocky structure of the CS to the loosely packed structure which is analogous to graphene oxide sheets. The resulting CS/GO-SH was used as an adsorbent material for removal of Cu (II), Pb (II) and Cd (II) in single- and multi-metal ions systems. It was found that the CS/GO-SH has potential applications in fields of adsorptive materials due to its superiority of the chemical characteristic and the specific surface area.